ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria's national wealth as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 8,340 billion dinars in 2006, the government said in a report carried by the official APS news agency on Wednesday.

It gave no comparison for 2005. The OPEC member country's 2007 budget law put 2005 GDP at 7,520 billion dinars.

Reporting what it called a strong performance by the north African country's oil and gas-dependent economy, the statement said the balance of payment surplus stood at about 15 percent of GDP, the current account surplus at about 26 percent of GDP and the budget surplus at about 15 percent of GDP.

"The cabinet noted healthy hydrocarbon prices, which positively influenced external and internal financial balances," the statement said, adding favourable economic trends had helped the fight against unemployment, which stood at 12.3 percent in October 2006.

GDP per capita rose to $3,443 in 2006, from $3,110 in 2005, while efforts to continue macro-economic stability has resulted in containing inflation, which it reiterated stood at 2.5 percent in 2006 compared to 1.6 percent in 2005.

The statement added foreign exchange reserves reached a record $78 billion at the end of 2006, representing about 38 months of imports.

The reserves stood at $56.18 billion at the end of 2005.

Soaring oil prices have helped Algeria, a developing country of 33 million, launch a $80 billion five-year national economic development plan and repay a large part of its foreign debt.

In December 2006 President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said the country had cut its external debt to $4.7 billion from $15.5 billion in January 2006.

Algeria reports GDP up at $117 billion in 2006